Storybook Character Costumes — Striped Hats, Red Tees & Blue Wigs
These are the costumes that turn up in every Australian Book Week parade: the tall red-and-white striped hat, the red top with a numbered badge, the wild blue hair. They are instantly readable from across a school hall, which is exactly what you want when a hundred children are being judged in the same ten minutes.
Everything in this collection is our own range, made to work as a complete outfit rather than a single novelty piece. Adults and children are both covered, in matching styles.
The striped-hat cat
The classic version is a black jumpsuit or dress paired with the red-and-white striped top hat, a red bow tie and white gloves. We stock it as a full adult jumpsuit, a womens tutu dress version, a kids jumpsuit and a girls tutu.
The tutu versions are the easier wear for younger children — more movement, and nothing to trip on during a parade.
If you already have plain black clothes at home, the accessory kit gives you the hat, bow tie and gloves on their own, which is the cheapest route to a recognisable costume.
The red-and-blue twins
This is the two-person costume: a red top, striped tights and a spiky blue wig, finished with a numbered badge on the chest. Our sets come with four interchangeable number labels, so two, three or four children can wear the same costume and each be a different number.
That detail matters more than it sounds. Most schools have several children arriving in the same outfit, and the swappable badges stop it looking like a duplicate.
We stock it as a t-shirt set, a tutu set, and a full kit bundled with the wig and striped tights — for adults, women and children.
Buying the pieces separately
The blue spiky wig, the red-and-white striped tights and the striped top hat are all sold individually. This is worth knowing if you are dressing a group and only need to top up, or if your child already owns a plain red t-shirt.
The wig does most of the recognition work on the twins costume. If you are improvising, that is the piece to start with.
Group and family ideas
The striped-hat cat and the red-and-blue twins are designed to be worn together, which makes this an easy pick for siblings, for a parent-and-child pairing, or for a teacher leading a class group.
Because the adult and kids versions match in styling, family photos actually read as a set rather than three unrelated costumes.
Sizing
Available in adult, womens, kids and girls sizing across the range. Costume sizing runs differently to everyday clothing, so check the size chart on each product page before ordering rather than assuming your usual size.
Delivery
Orders placed before 2pm on weekdays ship the same day from our Melbourne warehouse. Book Week is our busiest period of the year, so order early rather than relying on last-minute postage.
